T20 World Cup: Hurting Afghans seek a revival in campaign against UAE

NEW DELHI: A defeat can bruise a team. A loss following a double Super Over can hollow it out. Afghanistan now face the tough task of picking themselves up mentally after their heartbreaking defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad, as they take on UAE in a must-win T20 World Cup Group D clash here on Monday. Two losses in as many games have left Afghanistan’s hopes hanging by a thread. Even if they are favourites to win their remaining fixtures against UAE and Canada, their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands. A New Zealand victory over Canada the following day would seal Afghanistan’s exit.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

This precarious position sits in contrast to the strides Afghanistan have made in recent years. A semifinal appearance in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup and a spirited showing in the ODI World cup in 2023, underlined their rise.




Rashid Khan remains the sport’s premier T20 spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman brings mystery to the fold, Azmatullah Omarzai is a genuine all-round force, Ibrahim Zadran offers them the steadiness with the bat. Zadran’s opening partner Rahmanullah Gurbaz can turn games single-handedly, and old warhorse Mohammad Nabi is still up for a joust.

On paper, it is a line-up capable of challenging any side. Experts tipped them to make the Super Eights at least, if not go deeper. However, they are yet to bring their A-game to this tournament. Afghanistan will particularly look towards Zadran to rediscover form. Often the perfect foil to the attacking Gurbaz, Zadran’s role as an anchor assumes added significance in the high-pressure environment of a World Cup, where stability can be as valuable as aggression.

While the conventional anchor’s role in T20 cricket may be fading, Zadran has shown signs of evolving with the format. Yet this campaign has brought modest returns — 22 runs from two innings — and Afghanistan will expect a stronger showing at the top.

History, though, offers Afghanistan comfort. They hold an 11-3 win-loss record over UAE.

By contrast, UAE will go into the match with renewed confidence after their win over Canada, achieved at the same Arun Jaitley Stadium that will host their remaining group games. Familiarity with conditions could prove to be an advantage, but their path to qualification is far more complicated. They too depend on Canada upsetting New Zealand and script victories over both Afghanistan and South Africa on Wednesday. Even that may not suffice unless they significantly improve their net run-rate, which currently trails New Zealand’s by a considerable margin.

Their hopes would hinge on the swashbuckling Sohaib Khan. Born in Gaya, Bihar, and educated at the Jamia Millia Islamia university in Delhi, the UAE batter showcased his destructive ability against Canada with a 29-ball 51 that shifted the game’s momentum. UAE will look to him once again for inspiration.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.